1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the formation of a bale of forage having fiber content which is capable of being shipped over large distances and which exhibits an enhanced ability for storage. More particularly, this invention relates to a hay baler or bale compressor which aerates a bale of hay or straw during the formation of the bale so that it can be shipped without internally igniting or prematurely spoiling before it reaches its final destination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, there is increasing interest in hay as a useful and potentially economical means of feeding cattle in locations throughout the United States and the world. Further, straw, which used to be merely burned in the fields, is also recognized as a very useful commodity and has a number of uses, such as insulation. One of the primary inhibitors to effectively utilizing the advantages of hay and straw is the current inability to efficiently ship it over large distances, particularly to locations where hay and straw cannot be effectively grown.
Hay and straw are generally harvested and packed into bales, as is a number of other types of forage of fiber content, such as alfalfa. These bales are formed by hay balers which often form a large bale from individual capsules of hay that are compressed and combined to form the complete bale. Although the creation of a bale allows a user to easily handle a larger amount of hay than if the hay were only loosely held, hay must be able to "breathe" to avoid early spoilage or destruction. Hay only breathes for a distance of approximately eight inches, and even small hay bales are much larger than eight inches, so some of the hay located in the central region of the bale is not able to breathe. This can cause tobaccoing or caramelizing and eventually can cause mold of various degree which can be harmful to livestock. Moreover, because hay and straw make good insulating material, the temperature at the center region of the bale can gradually increase until the heat caramelizes the hay and it actually catches on fire, which also destroys the entire bale and other bales shipped therewith. These problems have, in the past, precluded the shipping of hay or straw over long distances and the storage of hay or straw for desired lengths of time.
Previously, hay and straw were grown in close proximity to those interested in purchasing them in the livestock industry, so the disadvantages associated with the shipment of large bales in an enclosed vehicle were not fully appreciated. However, today a large number of livestock producers and dairymen are located in places, such as Florida, which is not adaptable to growing the type of alfalfa that the Florida livestock producers and dairymen desire. In addition, foreign countries, striving to raise their own livestock, are also interested in purchasing hay to feed them. Now, it is recognized that when hay or straw is shipped from cold climates to warm climates in railroad box cars, for example, the bale sweats causing the moisture content of the bale to increase which reduces the producers ability to preserve the shipped hay. There is a large world market developing for hay and straw which cannot effectively be met, and therefore, the capability to economically ship useful hay is becoming a growing concern to hay producers.
Methods have been developed which attempt to overcome the above-identified disadvantages encountered during the shipment and storage of baled hay. Chemical preservatives have been developed to inhibit hay or straw spoilage, but, to be effective, the preservative must be sprayed evenly over the hay before it is baled in relatively exact amounts. Due to the nature of hay, it is very difficult to evenly apply such a preservative over loose hay.
In addition, a bale of hay can be dried to an extremely low, dry temperature in the field to permit the transport of the hay over long distances. However, when this procedure is done at the time of baling at 9% to 11% moisture, the leaf loss and the nutrition loss is so great that the bale becomes undesirable as feed, particularly for dairy cattle. Therefore, this procedure is also an ineffective means of preserving hay over long distances basically because it defeats the purpose of using the hay if it has limited nutritional value to cattle.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,078,059 and 5,101,719 to Recker are directed to hay bale ventilators which are mounted on a plunger of a hay baler. Specifically, the ventilator includes a pointed member extending from the plunger face to form a hole or passageway through consecutively formed segments of hay in the baler. The pointed member, however, is solid in nature and is designed to push or punch out a hole in the segment of hay. Such pressure can damage or destablize the resulting hay bale due to the disruption of the compacted hay.
Furthermore, by pushing a hole through the compressed hay bale, the ventilator is in effect merely creating a tube through the hay bale because individual strands of hay are pushed or crushed in the hole without creating individual strands which are capable of breathing. A passageway formed in this manner really does not solve the problem it is designed to solve. It merely crushes the hay in close proximity to the passageway to actually seal off the rest of the hay bale from the passageway. Moreover, the solid probe provides no means for removing the hay from the hole which results in eventual collapse of the hole. In other words, the hay that has been pushed up sealing off the bale eventually collapses back into the bale as the bale is pushed by the plunger.
An effective means for producing a bale of hay or straw is needed, which enables the bale to be shipped over large distances without premature spoilage. Specifically, an apparatus is needed which prevents bales of hay from internally igniting and allows even the central region of the bale to breathe to prevent the bale from spoiling during shipping or storage.